Name for the implicitly declared integer variable that is local to the FORALL statement. Statements outside the FORALL statement cannot reference index. Statements inside the FORALL statement can reference index as an index variable, but cannot use it in expressions or change its value. After the FORALL statement runs, index is undefined.

dml_statement

A static or dynamic INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, or MERGE statement that references at least one collection in its VALUES or WHERE clause. Performance benefits apply only to collection references that use index as an index.

Every collection that dml_statement references must have indexes that match the values of index. If you apply the DELETE, EXTEND, or TRIM method to one collection, apply it to the other collections also, so that all collections have the same set of indexes. If any collection lacks a referenced element, PL/SQL raises an exception.

Restriction on dml_statement

If dml_statement is a dynamic SQL statement, then values in the USING clause (bind variables for the dynamic SQL statement) must be simple references to the collection, not expressions. For example, collection(i) is valid, but UPPER(collection(i)) is invalid.

Specifies the collection element indexes that provide values for the variable index. For each value, the SQL engine runs dml_statement once.

lower_bound .. upper_bound

Both lower_bound and upper_bound are numeric expressions that PL/SQL evaluates once, when the FORALL statement is entered, and rounds to the nearest integer if necessary. The resulting integers must be the lower and upper bounds of a valid range of consecutive index numbers. If an element in the range is missing or was deleted, PL/SQL raises an exception.

INDICES OF collection [ BETWEEN lower_bound AND upper_bound ]

Specifies that the values of index correspond to the indexes of the elements of collection. The indexes need not be consecutive.

Both lower_bound and upper_bound are numeric expressions that PL/SQL evaluates once, when the FORALL statement is entered, and rounds to the nearest integer if necessary. The resulting integers are the lower and upper bounds of a valid range of index numbers, which need not be consecutive.

Restriction on collection

If collection is an associative array, it must be indexed by PLS_INTEGER.

VALUES OF index_collection

Specifies that the values of index are the elements of index_collection, a collection of PLS_INTEGER elements that is indexed by PLS_INTEGER. The indexes of index_collection need not be consecutive. If index_collection is empty, PL/SQL raises an exception and the FORALL statement does not run.